Mysteries & Thrillers by Black Authors

Part thriller, part horror, this small-town suspense tale is a hypnotic, atmospheric novel that’s spellbinding from start to finish. Liz doesn’t have great memories of her hometown in Pennsylvania, but she reluctantly goes home to attend her best friend’s wedding. But when a young girl goes missing at the reception, Liz is the only one to recognize a pattern. Suddenly, she finds herself on the path to discovering what’s happening to the missing Black girls in the woods.

This dark comedy thriller follows two sisters. One sister, Ayoola has a habit of disposing of her lovers … permanently. Her hardworking sister Korede, is tired of cleaning up after her sister, but unfortunately continues to enable her beautiful sister’s antics. But now, her sister’s charm is hitting close to home when Ayoola sets her eyes on a man Korede has a crush on.

This multi-generational saga follows a gifted, young Black musician who is set to perform at a prestigious music competition, using his grandfather’s violin. Ray McMillian has worked tirelessly to make a name for himself in the cutthroat world of classical music, which too often discredits people of color.  When he finds out that his grandfather’s heirloom violin is actually a rare, priceless instrument, the family who had once owned Ray’s ancestors comes out of the woodwork demanding that it belongs to them. They will stop at nothing to get it, but Ray will stop at nothing to keep it.

This is the third installment of the Emma Djan Investigation series. In this thrilling read, PI Emma Djan is tasked with finding the daughter of her boss’ friend. What makes this series so unique is that instead of focusing on Emma and how she solves the case, Kwei Quartey shares the backstory of the victims.

If you’re looking for a cozy mystery, you’re in luck. Set in the Midwest, Bronwyn Crewse, also known as Win, has just graduated from business school and is returning home to run her family’s ice cream parlor.  She plans to make some much-needed changes to restore the family business to its former glory. But a series of delays put her plans on ice … literally. The opening day coincides with the first snowfall of the winter, and to make matters worse, Win finds a dead man in the snow! When the dead man turns out to be a long-time nemesis of the Crewse family, Win’s dad becomes the main suspect. Can Win run her business and clear her father’s name?

Get ready to be transported back to the 1920s in this exciting historical mystery that takes place during the Harlem Renaissance.  After escaping from a kidnapper in her teens, Louise Lloyd is just trying to live a normal life, spending time with her girlfriend and working hard at her job in a speakeasy. But when several girls in her neighborhood are found murdered, Louise’s past comes to the forefront. The police give her an ultimatum: help them solve the mystery or end up in a jail cell. Louise decides to face her fears and find out who is behind these murders, but is she in over her head?

Jazz-loving, street busker Nanette Hayes is not having a good day. First, she broke things off with her boyfriend, and then when she offers a fellow busker a place to stay for the night, she wakes up to find him dead on her couch. To make matters worse, the mystery man was an undercover cop and the wad of cash he stashed in Nanette’s apartment is about to get her into some very hot water.

Travel back in time to the 1960s in Harlem, New York where Ray Carney is trying to make an earnest living as a furniture salesman. While so many people around him have turned to crime to make a living — his father included — Ray has worked hard for his wife and children, the honest way. But when he helps his cousin Freddie, Ray suddenly finds himself surrounded by petty thieves, hustlers, and crooked cops, and he’s finding it hard to not get caught up in the lifestyle he’s been trying to avoid.

Part romance, part legal suspense, Stacy Abrams (writing under her pen name Selena Montgomery) writes a thrilling mystery where undercover agents must scramble for the truth. Dr. Raleigh Foster accepts that her line of work can be risky, so she doesn’t think twice when she is given an assignment to infiltrate a dangerous organization to recover stolen tech. The only trouble is that she isn’t working on this case alone. Paired with the brooding undercover agent Adam Grayson, Raleigh discovers the most dangerous risk of all, is falling in love.

Andre Jackson is a typical teen that’s into hanging out with his friends and crushing on girls. But everything changes when he is wrongfully convicted for a crime he didn’t commit. After serving his time at juvie, he gets out to find his neighborhood is changing, his friends are treating him differently, and the COVID pandemic is shutting everything down. Andre feels like his whole life is disappearing. But invisible men can be dangerous. With nothing left to lose, Andre will do everything he can to find the truth.